N.H. State Police buying AI-powered drone detection system to monitor airspace over mass gatherings
'This system will address emerging security threats, protect critical infrastructure, safeguard public events, and enhance emergency response capabilities,' he wrote.
Get N.H. Morning Report
A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox.
Enter Email
Sign Up
This technology will be new to the New Hampshire State Police, but it comes from a company that has been providing similar services to other states. Dedrone Holdings Inc. — which was
The '
Advertisement
New Hampshire's five-member Executive Council approved the $275,000 purchase on Wednesday, without discussion.
Quinn referred follow-up questions to a department spokesperson, Tyler P. Dumont, who said the money is coming from federal Homeland Security grant funds.
While the use of surveillance and emerging technologies by law enforcement always leads to questions about the protection of civil liberties, Dumont said state personnel will aim to use the Dedrone tool in a way that enhances public safety without infringing on the privacy or legal rights of individuals and drone operators.
'We will implement safeguards to ensure that any usage of AI is supplemented by human review and verification, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations,' he said.
What's more, the drone detection system is a monitoring tool that won't be used to disable any aircraft deemed a potential threat, he added.
Steven Porter can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
New Hampshire's health policy agenda is a prescription for trouble
Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up In another head-scratching decision, the House shelved Advertisement Perhaps the most charged bills this session were Advertisement And yet, there are glimmers of what good policy can look like. We're at a crossroads. Will we continue to lead with level-headed reform, or get swept up in national fights that do more to divide than heal? If the House wants to restore confidence in its health policy agenda, it should return to what New Hampshire does best: putting people before politics and results before rhetoric. Advertisement Dr. Jennifer Mandelbaum represents Rockingham 21 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
UNH pulls DEI webpage, changes a staffer's title and certain hiring practices as state DEI law takes effect
Advertisement Academic and administrative leaders were also asked to remove DEI-related content on their websites as the review takes place, according to Chilton. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Chilton said the new law had also prompted changes to hiring and promotion practices, ending the use of diversity statements, which she said were previously optional and used infrequently. The president also pointed to 'organizational adjustments,' like changing the job title of the university's chief diversity officer, a role Now, Petty will temporarily hold the title of associate vice president for community, civil rights, and compliance. 'Nadine and her team will also play a key role in planning how UNH continues to foster a campus culture that supports access, belonging, and student success in a way that fully complies with state law,' Chilton said. Advertisement A university spokesperson declined to provide additional details about the temporary nature of this change, and whether the university anticipates reinstating the position. One of the lawmakers who championed the DEI ban said the temporary measures should remain in effect. 'These temporary changes need to become permanent,' said state Representative Joseph Sweeney, a Salem Republican, in a 'UNH remains fully committed to providing educational access and opportunity, and to fostering a learning and working environment where all members of our community feel that they belong and can succeed,' Chilton said in her letter. 'However, the new law requires us to reexamine how we pursue these goals within its parameters.' She said the university doesn't believe its current policies or practices conflict with the state law, but 'the broad language of the provision and the risk of significant financial penalties require us to take proactive steps to mitigate uncertainty.' If a school is out of compliance with the DEI ban, the state can withhold all of its public funding, according to the law. Public K-12 schools are also explicitly prohibited from implementing DEI-related initiatives. The Manchester School District has changed the job title of its former chief equity officer to executive director of student engagement, outcomes, and success. Deb Howes, president of the teacher's union AFT-NH, said there are relatively few DEI positions in New Hampshire that might be affected by the new law. At its peak, she estimated there were about five DEI positions. Advertisement Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
New budget takes effect in New Hampshire — and the state university system is already feeling it
Chancellor Catherine A. Provencher told stakeholders the board of trustees had built the university system's budget for fiscal year 2026 around the $91 million-per-year that Ayotte had initially proposed. That was already a modest reduction compared to the fiscal year that just ended. But then lawmakers cut deeper, passing a budget with $87 million in fiscal year 2026 and $77 million in fiscal year 2027, a reduction of 15 percent compared to the prior biennium. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Provencher said she and fellow leaders are committed to seeking cost-savings and 'strategic sources of revenue' to balance their budget. Advertisement 'We know that these are unprecedented times in higher education as we compete for fewer high school graduates and as federal funding for research and student aid is shifting,' she wrote. In her own note to the UNH community, President Elizabeth S. Chilton said leaders must recognize the university will almost certainly be smaller in five years than it is now. Advertisement 'This is a time to decide what our strengths are and how we can invest in those areas in the next chapter of our history,' she wrote, calling for creativity and coordination. In addition to requiring a minimum delay of 120 days before vacancies can be filled with new hires, Chilton said she has asked each academic and administrative unit at UNH to prepare for across-the-board spending reductions of 3 percent to begin this summer. 'While I have said repeatedly that we should try to avoid across-the-board cuts whenever possible, this was the best option available given the urgency of our current fiscal challenges,' she wrote, noting that there will still be 'significant work' ahead for the university system to balance its shrinking budget amid other headwinds. In a message to the Keene State community, President Melinda D. Treadwell noted that leaders are also working with legal counsel to understand the impacts of budget provisions related to While policymakers acknowledged from the outset that this budget cycle would be tighter than those in recent memory, some GOP lawmakers also cited ideological motivations for certain decisions, such as suggesting that cutting university funding would help to curb left-leaning ' Steven Porter can be reached at
